Group home proposed for Rochester building

Sunday

Nov 24, 2013 at 12:01 AMNov 24, 2013 at 3:00 PM

ROCHESTER -- A Beaver Falls-based organization that provides housing and help to people with mental illnesses is seeking to expand to Rochester.

The borough’s zoning hearing board will have a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the municipal building regarding a zoning variance for a licensed rehabilitation home above Henderson Printing on the corner of Brighton and New York avenues.

Cornerstone Recovery and Supports, or CRS, wants to create a licensed partial community residential rehabilitation home near the Beaver County Transit Authority and Mental Health Association in Beaver County.

“We work with individuals to help them gain independence to live independently and gain skill sets,” CEO Mark Zachewicz said.

He said CRS helps client learn life skills that other people might take for granted such as nutrition and navigating public transportation.

Applicant Domenic Leone said the second floor of his four-story building would be converted. The application seeks to make a special-use exception in a commercial district.

Rochester currently prohibits partial personal care boarding homes and licensed partial community residential rehabilitation homes, but there are several boarding homes throughout the borough. The application for the variance said this use would be similar to a personal boarding care home staffed with a supervisor on an as-needed basis.

CRS has two group homes in Beaver Falls that serve about 20 people each for a range of mental illnesses, such as depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. One home is staffed around the clock and another is partial care.

Zachewicz said the organization is a nonprofit that began providing services July 1.

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